Water Systems CouncilState Well Codes
The State Well Codes database stores state standards for the construction of private water wells.
Included in the database is state-specific information on various codes related to well construction and siting. To find information on your state or other states, use the searchable database below.
Please note that this database is intended as a guide and occasionally standards change. WSC updates the database periodically, but we encourage you to obtain a full list of state well codes from your state environmental agency or contact the wellcare® Hotline for assistance.
If you have questions about the database, corrections or updates, please contact Charlene Bean.
Please click on the State Name in the list below for well code information. If you would like to alphabetize the table, click on the column name in blue.
| State | Category | Subcategory | Standard Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | Casing | Pressure-Rated PVC Pipe |
Follow ASTM D2241. |
| Hawaii | Casing | Plastic & Thermoset |
Various ASTM. HWCPIS 2.4(e)(3) |
| Hawaii | Casing | Plastic |
Various. HWCPIS 2.4(e)(3) |
| Hawaii | Casing | Joints |
Welding to follow standards of American Welding Society and American Society of Mechanical Engineers boiler construction code table 7 ANSI/AWWA 4100-90. HWCPIS 2.4 (f) |
| Hawaii | Casing | Glass Fiber Reinforced Resin Pressure Pipe |
Follow AWWA C950. HWCPIS 2.4(e)(3) |
| Hawaii | Casing | Filament Wound Resin Pipe |
Various ASTM D2996. HWCPIS 2.4(e)(3) |
| Hawaii | Casing | Centrifugally Cast Resin Pipe |
Follow ASTM D2997. HWCPIS 2.4(e)(3) |
| Hawaii | Casing | Casing - General |
Various specifications - see tables 3,4, and 6. HWCPIS 2.4 |
| Hawaii | Casing | Carbon-Steel |
See table 4 & 5. ANSI/AWWA A100-90. HWCPIS 2.4(c) |
| Hawaii | Casing | ABS Pipe |
Various ASTM D1527. HWCPIS 2.4(e)(3) |
| Hawaii | Caps | Caps - General |
Non-producing wells must be capped less than 2 ft. above ground surface. HWCPIS 2.10 |
| Hawaii | Bases | Bases - General |
Concrete slab to be 2ft. x 2 ft. \". HWCPIS 2.10(a)(4) |
| Hawaii | Annular Space | Annular Space - General |
Must be minimum of 3 in. all around casing and open hole. HWCPIS Part 2.6(d) |
| Hawaii | Access Ports & Tubes | Access Ports & Tubes - General |
For Water level monitoring. HWCPIS Part 2.3e |
| Hawaii | Abandonment | Abandonment - General |
All wells & test borings to be properly abandoned. Cement to conform to ASTM-C150 for Portland Cement, Type 1. Grout to be either neat cement of sand-cement. Permanently seal well by grouting with tremie pipe from bottom to top. Requires permit from commission to seal wells. Sand to conform to masonry sand,\" ASTM-C144.\" To be performed by well driller with license C-57 or by a general contractor with license C. See HWCPIS Part 3. |
| Georgia | Well Pits or Vaults | Well Pits Or Vaults - General |
No Standard Specified. |
| Hawaii | Location | Location - General |
See table 2 HWCPIS 2.3 for minimum distance |
| Hawaii | Licensing | Licensing - General |
All work required in the construction, modification, or sealing of wells subject to these standards shall be performed by well drillers who have obtained a C-57 license. All work required in the installation of pumps and pumping equipment shall be performed by well drillers with a C-57 license, pump installers with a C-57a license, or general contractors with an A license. |
| Hawaii | Identification | Identification - General |
Attach engraved plate with well number. HWCPIS 2.10(a)(7) |
| Hawaii | Grout | Sand & Cement |
1 part sand 1 part cement by weight and 6 gallons water per sack of cement. HWCPIS 2.6(e) |
| Hawaii | Grout | Neat Cement |
1 sack 94-lb sack to 6 gallons of water. |
| Hawaii | Grout | Grout - General |
Neat or sand cement 500 or 70% of ground surface to water table. See HWCPIS 2.6, 3.4, 3.7 |
| Hawaii | Gravel/Sand-Packed Wells | Gravel/Sand-Packed Wells - General |
No Standard Specified. |
| Hawaii | Gravel | Gravel - General |
If used, disinfect with 100 mg/L chlorine solution before placement in the well. May consist of crushed basaltic aggregate or smooth, water-worn, rounded gravel. Shall be obtained from clean, non-contaminated sources, & shall be inert. HWCPIS 2.5 |
| Hawaii | Fracturing | Fracturing - General |
No Standard Specified. |
| Hawaii | Electrical Connection | Electrical Connection - General |
No Standard Specified. |
| Hawaii | Disinfection | Well Casing |
Flush with water for 30 min. See Table 8. HWCPIS 2.8(c) |
| Hawaii | Disinfection | Pump & Pumping Equipment |
See table 8. HWCPIS 2.8 (d) |
| Hawaii | Disinfection | Disinfection - General |
100 mg/L chlorine solution see table. HWCPIS 2.8(a). |
| Hawaii | Disinfection | Aquifer Section |
30 minute minimum contact see table 8. HWCPIS 2.8(c) |
| Hawaii | Development | Development - General |
No minimum but required proper disposal of material. HWCPIS 2.7 |
| Hawaii | Vents | Vents - General |
6\" above casing non corroding screen. HWCPIS 4.2(d) |
| Hawaii | Testing | Testing - General |
Step-drawdown & acquifer test required. HWCPIS 2.9 |
| Hawaii | Screens | Screens - General |
Procedures prohibit driven installation. HWCPIS 2.4(f) |
| Hawaii | Pumps | Pumps - General |
Various minimum construction & testing. HWCPIS Part 4 |
| Hawaii | Pumps | Lineshaft Turbine Pumps |
Various minimum construction standards. HWCPIS 4.3 |
| Hawaii | Pump Pits | Pump Pits - General |
Requires permit approval. HWCPIS 2.10 |
| Hawaii | Plumbness & Alignment | Plumbness & Alignment - General |
No Standard Specified. |
| Hawaii | Plumbing Connection | Plumbing Connection - General |
No Standard Specified. |
| Hawaii | Pitless Units | Pitless Units - General |
No Standard Specified. |
| Hawaii | Pitless Adapters | Pitless Adapters - General |
No Standard Specified. |
| Hawaii | Permitting | Permitting - General |
Required for construction from the commission. Test borings do not require a permit. |
| Hawaii | Packers | Packers - General |
No Standard Specified. |
| Hawaii | Meters | Meters - General |
Required. HWCPIS 4.5 |
| Hawaii | Maintenance & Repair | Maintenance & Repair - General |
No Standard Specified. |
| Hawaii | Location | Treated Effluent Injection Well |
1/4 mile. |
| Iowa | Casing | Thermoplastic |
Not to be driven. Styrene-rubber thermoplastic casing, including ASTM F480, not to be used. To be new PVC or ABS & meet ASTM F480. To have SDR of 21, 17, or 13.5, a DR of 18 or 14, or Schedule 40 or 80. |
| Iowa | Casing | Steel |
To be new & meet ASTM A 53-96, ASTM A 106-95, or ASTM A 589-95a- Type I, II, or III. To meet API 5CT (5th edition, 4/1/95), API 5D (3rd edition, 8/1/92), or API 5L (41st edition, 4/1/95). |
| Iowa | Casing | Joints For Thermoplastic Casing |
Joints may also be nonmetallic & restrained, according to ASTM F480. To be assembled w/ flush-threaded joints, integral-bell, solvent-cemented, or 1-piece solvent-cemented joints. |
| Iowa | Casing | Joints For Steel Casing |
To be watertight welded construction or threaded couplings. |
| Iowa | Casing | Casing - General |
Materials to conform to AWWA, API, ASTM, & NGWA. The thermoplastic well casing pipe, pipe couplings, cement, primer and other components used shall be approved for well casing pipe in potable water supplies by the NSF Standard Number 61 or the health effects portion of Standard Number 14 as they relate to well casing pipe, or an approved equivalent organization. Each length of casing shall be legibly marked showing the manufacturer’s or processor’s name or trademark, size in inches, and the ASTM F 480 specification or trade monogram. |
| Iowa | Caps | Caps - General |
To be installed immediately after well completion on an exposed well. A well cap shall be used on an exposed well, a sanitary seal only on a well terminating within a wellhouse. Any openings in the cap or seal, such as for pump wiring or water depth measurement, shall be properly grommeted or sealed except properly screened and oriented vent openings. |
| Iowa | Bases | Bases - General |
No Standard Specified. |
| Iowa | Access Ports & Tubes | Access Ports & Tubes - General |
Permitted use wells shall be equipped with an access port having a minimum diameter of ¾ inch. The access port shall be fitted with a threaded cap or plug and be located to allow insertion of a steel tape or electric probe into the well for measurement of water level. |
| Iowa | Abandonment | Abandonment - General |
Abandoned wells to be properly plugged as required. |
| Hawaii | Well Pits or Vaults | Well Pits Or Vaults - General |
Various minimum construction standards. HWCPIS 2.10(a)(5) |
| Hawaii | Well Head Completion | Well Head Completion - General |
Various minimum construction and reporting requirements. HWCPIS 2.10 |
| Hawaii | Water-Level Monitor Tubes | Water-Level Monitor Tubes - General |
Required HWCPIS 4.2(e) |
| Hawaii | Water Suction Lines | Water Suction Lines - General |
Install min. of 12 in. above ground surface or pump house floor. |
| Iowa | Grout | Guides |
A minimum of 2 sets of centering guides required. |
| Iowa | Grout | Grout - General |
Grouting min. of 40 ft., more extensive grouting may be required if encounter low permeable layer of at least 5 ft. thick 40 ft. from ground surface. When driving casing a #8 mesh bentonite or bentonite grout must be maintained around the outside of the casing. The bottom of driven casing must be equipped with a drive shoe. Drilling fluids and cuttings may not be used as grouting material to satisfy the minimum grouting requirements. |
| Iowa | Grout | Concrete |
To be proportioned w/ 1 bag of cement to an = volume of aggregate, to no more than 6 gal. of water. To not be used below the water table. |
| Iowa | Grout | Bentonite |
Mixing to conform to manufacturer's specifications. Organic polymers to meet NSF Standard 60. Sodium-bentonite mixtures having high viscosity & < 10% solids not to be used. In fractured rock, where circulation of slurry cannot be maintained, grouting may be done with bentonite chips. The chips shall be hydrated with one gallon of water per bag of bentonite. |
| Iowa | Gravel/Sand-Packed Wells | Gravel/Sand-Packed Wells - General |
No Standard Specified. |
| Iowa | Gravel | Gravel - General |
No Standard Specified. |
| Iowa | Fracturing | Fracturing - General |
No Standard Specified. |
| Iowa | Explosives | Explosives - General |
No Standard Specified. |
| Iowa | Disinfection | Disinfection - General |
In event of emergency, contact time to be a in of 30 min w/ a 200 mg/L chlorine soln. To be disinfected by contractor after completion & whenever well cap or seal is removed. Treat well for a min of 2 hours w/ a 100 mg/L chlorine soln, or for 24 hours w/ a 50 mg/L soln. Use sodium or calcium hypochlorite for chlorine soln. that meet NSF Standard 61.Dry disinfectant shall be dissolved in a separate container of water before introduction into the well. The solution shall contain not more than eight ounces of pelleted HTH disinfectant per five gallons of water. Wells to be pumped until water is free of mud, cuttings, & san. |
| Iowa | Development | Development - General |
No Standard Specified. |
| Iowa | Cross Connection | Cross Connection - General |
Not allowed unless protected by an air gap & a backflow prevention device. |
| Iowa | Construction | Construction - General |
All materials utilized in well water construction shall conform to the standards of the AWWA, API, ASTM, and NGWA except as modified by the Department. Underground piping from the well casing to the pressure tank shall be a minimum 100 psi pressure rating, NSF Standard 61, and meet ASTM standards for potable water. |
| Iowa | Location | Liquid Hydrocarbon Storage Tanks |
100 ft. |
| Iowa | Location | Hydrants |
10 ft. |
| Iowa | Location | Earthen Manure Storage Basin |
1000 ft. |
| Iowa | Location | Drainage Wells |
1000 ft. |
| Iowa | Location | Domestic Wastewater Lagoon |
400 ft. |
| Iowa | Location | Ditches, Streams, Ponds, Or Lakes |
25 ft. |
| Iowa | Location | Conforming Wells |
10 ft. |
| Iowa | Location | Basements, Pits, Sumps |
10 ft. |
| Iowa | Licensing | Licensing - General |
No Standard Specified. |
| Iowa | Identification | Identification - General |
No Standard Specified. |
| Iowa | Grout | Neat Cement |
Mixture to consist of 1 bag of cement (94 lbs) to not more than 6 gal. of clean water. Admixtures to reduce permeability or control setting time must meet ASTM |
| Iowa | Location | Well House Floor Drains |
10 ft. |
| Iowa | Location | Storage Area For Fertilizers & Chemicals |
100 ft. |
| Iowa | Location | Sewers Of Tile & Sewers Under Pressure |
50 ft. |
| Iowa | Location | Sewers Of Cast Iron Or Plastic Pipe |
10 ft. |
| Iowa | Location | Septic Tank, Concrete Vault Privy |
50 ft. |
| Iowa | Location | Sanitary Landfills |
1000 ft. |
| Iowa | Location | Sanitary & Industrial Discharge |
400 ft. |
| Iowa | Location | Runoff Control Basins & Anaerobic Lagoons |
1000 ft. |
| Iowa | Location | Property Lines |
4 ft. |
| Iowa | Location | Pit Privies, Septic Line, Absorption Fields |
100 ft. |
| Iowa | Location | Nonconforming Wells |
100 ft. |
| Iowa | Pumps | Pumphouse Floors |
To be of concrete that is not less than 4 in. thick & that is sloped away from the casing. Top of casing to terminate at least 12 in. above floor. Watertight seal to be between casing & floor. |
| Iowa | Pumps | Hydropneumatic (Pressure) Pumps |
To be installed using manufacturer\'s guidelines & maintain pressure of at least 15 lbs. during highest usage. |
| Iowa | Pumps | Frost Pits |
Frost pits for Pressure Tanks & valves to have an independent floor drain & sump pump. Wells not to be located in frost pits. |
| Iowa | Pumps | Appurtenances |
Outside opening of drain line to be fitted w/ brass, bronze, or copper 16-mesh screen. To have an independent floor drain that discharges to ground surface. |
| Iowa | Plumbness & Alignment | Plumbness & Alignment - General |
No Standard Specified. |
| Iowa | Pitless Adapters & Units | Pitless Adapters & Units - General |
Conform to Pitless Adapter Standard-97, as promulgated by the Water Systems Council (WSC). Opening in casing to be sawed, not cut w/ a torch, when pitless adapter is gasketed. Pitless subsurface connection to casing to be made w/ weld-on or threaded pitless unit. Pitless subsurface connection to casing to be made w/ weld-on, clamp-on, or bolt-on pitless adapter. To be grouted w/ dry bentonite. |
| Iowa | Permitting | Permitting - General |
Permit not required for repair, maintenance, rehabilitation, or reconstruction. Well construction permit to first be obtained from the department or county board. |
